Gili Haimovich’s works call a spade a spade. They do not believe in mincing words, using euphemisms, or hiding behind any elaborate veils. There is also a fascinating range. A conversation with her is dotted with references to penetration, sex in parks (in Toronto, Bengaluru, and Israel), and a lovely discussion on how complete strangers sometimes help you cross streets in India! In this interview, taken at the recently-concluded Bengaluru Poetry Festival, Gili reveals the simple emotional gifts that India bestowed upon her, which surprised her because she was, after all, a tourist, and would not stay long enough to return the favour.

Her love for poetry began early. Maybe ‘began’ isn’t even the right word. Listening to her story gives off a sense of poems being the natural form of expression of feelings for her, no matter what the subject may be – it could be the colour of her brother’s hair, or the complicated factors that influence intimacy in a public space. In her own words, she doesn’t seek out poems, they seek her out.